US Strikes Iran’s Larak Island Over Mine Threat
US forces have struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first publicly confirmed American military attack on Iran in more than a month. Washington said the strike was carried out after Iranian forces were observed preparing rockets designed to deploy sea mines into the strategic waterway.
US Strikes Iranian Launchers on Larak Island
US Central Command said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel were preparing two launchers to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
American forces struck and destroyed the launchers on Sunday. Washington described the action as limited and aimed at preventing a renewed threat to international shipping.
The US military had completed operations to clear sea mines from major international shipping routes through the strait only days earlier.
Iran Retaliates Against US Bases in Jordan
Iran subsequently announced retaliatory missile attacks against two US military positions in Jordan.
Jordanian authorities said several Iranian missiles were intercepted. The full extent of any damage or casualties from Tehran’s retaliation was not immediately clear.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards separately said the American attack on Larak Island had killed and wounded soldiers and civilians, although independent casualty figures were not immediately available.
Strait of Hormuz Tensions Flare Again
Larak Island sits near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors.
Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passed through the waterway, making any renewed mining or military activity potentially significant for international energy markets.
The fresh exchange of attacks interrupts several weeks of reduced direct military confrontation, during which the Trump administration had increasingly shifted towards economic sanctions and financial pressure against Tehran.
